Lochsa River near Lowell: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 13337000 · Idaho · drains 1,178 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:00 AM · streamflow
The Lochsa River at Lowell is running 464 cfs, 61% of the median flow for November 4 (756 cfs, 99 years). Gage height is 1.99 ft. Flow is down 1% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Lochsa River
for rafters & kayakersFish Creek to Split Creek
Too lowClass III–IV · 12 mi · Put-in: Wilderness Gateway Put-In · Take-out: Split Creek Access, Take-Out
Low from 1,200 · good 3,000–13,500 · too high above 25,000 cfs
Now: 464 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 570.
Indian Grave Creek to Wilderness Gateway
LowClass IV · 16 mi · Put-in: White Pine River Access · Take-out: Wilderness Gateway Take-Out
Low from 400 · good 2,500–10,000 · too high above 25,000 cfs
Now: 464 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 569.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flow on this section is natural (snowmelt and rain), not set by a dam release schedule, so check the live reading above before you go. Commercial rafting season depends on runoff. Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumReading
About Lochsa River near Lowell
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 348 cfs (Oct 21, 2026) to 12,100 cfs (Dec 12, 2025). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1911; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 180 cfs (2003) to 5,200 cfs (1934). The river drains 1,178 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Salmon River at White Bird (45 mi southwest). See all 7 Idaho river gauges on the Idaho lake & river levels page.
Lochsa River near Lowell fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 61% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 6:58 AM–8:58 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow61% of normalFlow steady (-1% in 24 h)
Official Idaho fishing info: Idaho Fish and Game — Idaho Fishing Planner
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
4/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 6:28 AM · Sunset 4:23 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead6:58 AM–8:58 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:20 PM–9:20 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise12:57 AM–1:57 AM
- Moonset1:46 PM–2:46 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 6:58 AM–8:58 AM · 7:20 PM–9:20 PM Minor 12:57 AM–1:57 AM · 1:46 PM–2:46 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 7:42 AM–9:42 AM · 8:04 PM–10:04 PM Minor 2:09 AM–3:09 AM · 2:03 PM–3:03 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 3/10Poor | Major 8:26 AM–10:26 AM · 8:48 PM–10:48 PM Minor 3:19 AM–4:19 AM · 2:21 PM–3:21 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:11 AM–11:11 AM · 9:34 PM–11:34 PM Minor 4:30 AM–5:30 AM · 2:41 PM–3:41 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 9:57 AM–11:57 AM · 10:21 PM–12:21 AM Minor 5:41 AM–6:41 AM · 3:04 PM–4:04 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:45 AM–12:45 PM · 11:10 PM–1:10 AM Minor 6:51 AM–7:51 AM · 3:32 PM–4:32 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:35 AM–1:35 PM Minor 7:58 AM–8:58 AM · 4:08 PM–5:08 PM |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moon overhead × sunrise +2) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 4.6 days) | 0 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 4, rounded | 4/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 46.15, -115.59 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lochsa River near Lowell local time).
November 4 in history
99 years of flow records- Today464 cfs
- Same date last year959 cfs2025
- Median756 cfs
- Normal range565 cfs – 1,130 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19115,200 cfs1934
- Lowest since 1911180 cfs2003
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 465 | -1% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 470 | +1% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 464 | -0% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 466 | -3% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 480 | -7% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 515 | -16% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 613 | -15% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 718 | +42% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 506 | +21% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 419 | -6% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
Guides
All guides →- Best time to go whitewater rafting, river by riverTypical flow each month against American Whitewater’s ranges, for 40+ rafting runs.
- What river flow is best for rafting?How to read cfs and our Too low / Good / High bands before a raft trip, with live examples.
- What CFS is safe for kayaking and rafting?Live flows against American Whitewater ranges for classic Eastern runs.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 13337000 — Lochsa River Nr Lowell Id
- Location
- 46.1508, -115.5872 · Idaho
- Drainage area
- 1,178 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1911–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 7:00 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.